


The One

by mysticalmultifandom



Category: Parks and Recreation
Genre: Angst, Break Up, F/M, Rejection, Sad Ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-27
Updated: 2020-07-27
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:35:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,184
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25543726
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mysticalmultifandom/pseuds/mysticalmultifandom
Summary: "Roaring twenties tossing pennies in the pool, if my wishes came true it would've been you."The way Ben and Leslie would cope if Leslie said no.
Relationships: Leslie Knope/Ben Wyatt
Comments: 8
Kudos: 20





	The One

**Author's Note:**

> Breakup era benslie loosely based off the 1 by Taylor Swift

_ She said no. _

She fucking said  _ no _ .

Leslie Knope, the love of his life. The only person actually keeping him in Pawnee, said no. He’d left the house, everything was still there. He needed to get out, not just their shared apartment, but Pawnee as a whole. Ben knew she’d eventually go to Ann’s. He’d grab all his stuff and leave then. Maybe go back to Minnesota, he didn’t know yet. Maybe he could convince Chris to go back to the State Auditor job.

Ben sat at the foot of the bed, back in April and Andy’s shared apartment. He hasn’t lived here in ages. Normally they wouldn’t care that he was back. Ben living with them normally meant he’d do the dishes, keep the apartment clean and practically everything else they didn’t want to do. But this was post breakup Ben. The Ben who just lost the love of his life. The Ben whose proposal just got rejected. He didn’t know how to function without her, despite only knowing her for such a short amount of time. He couldn’t stop thinking of the last thing he said to her.

_ “We were something, don’t you think so?” _

_ She’d nodded. “We really were, I’m so sorry Ben.” _

He stared up at the ceiling, missing the presence of Leslie curled into him. It was too quiet, not having her next to him making campaign speeches in her sleep. Her blonde hair covering her face, while he absentmindedly traced patterns and shapes on her back with his finger. He missed being woken up by back rubs, cuddles, and sleepy lingering kisses. He missed her love for cooking him breakfast, watching her twirl around the kitchen, kissing him every time she’d walk by. He missed the stolen stares while at City Hall, clandestine meetings in Ann’s office, lunch by the wildflower mural. He missed meeting her at her house, quiet dinner dates with lit candles and wine where they talked about their days, just to lead to how they woke up, sleepy cuddles and kisses until they fell asleep. He missed  _ her _ . 

Ben was jolted from his thoughts by a knock on his door, he didn’t realize he was crying. The door opened and April entered, she leaned up against the doorframe. Ben sat up, wiping his red and bloodshot eyes. She didn’t come in, until Ben gestured for her to enter. She sat next to him on the bed.

“Ben. Are you okay?” She asked, the slightest hint of concern in her voice. Ben shakily sighed and shook his head no. April nodded silently. “Okay. Turn around.” He smiled slightly, knowing she was about to say something supportive. “I don’t know what happened, I don’t need to, it's not my business. But you deserve better than Leslie. I’m so sorry she said no.” 

“I just don’t understand.” Ben responded. April nodded, despite his back being turned to her. “Why did she say no.”

April sighed, hugging him. “I wish I had an answer. I just wanted you to know how sorry I am.” With that, she’d gotten up and left the room. He eyed the jacket pocket from across the room, he saw the box poking out of the pocket. Their little red box they’d used for all of their special moments. When he’d told her she knew about her running for City Council, so he gave her the button. The day of her election when she told him he needed to go to Washington DC. Despite all of it being illicit, having to go through a trial, a breakup to try to avoid a scandal, then just not being able to stay apart. He didn’t understand where he could have possibly gone wrong.

***

She watched him leave, she followed him from the bedroom all the way to the front of the house. When the door slammed, followed by the sound of a car engine starting, she slid to the floor. She sobbed. Why was she so upset?  _ She _ said no. She had reasons for saying no. She  _ had _ to say no. She stood up and walked into the bathroom to stare at herself. Her makeup was running, her mascara making the tears rolling down her cheeks black.

She wandered back to the front of the house. Pictures of them adorned their house. From her election, to pictures with the whole office. His arm snaked around her waist in almost all of them. She needed to get out. She was spiraling. Normally she’d go to Ben, since that was obviously out of the picture, she went to the next best person.

“Leslie?” Ann asked as she opened the door. Leslie was obviously crying, she was dressed up, which meant she must have just been with Ben. She walked into the house without saying a word.

“Ben proposed.” Leslie blurted. That was the first time she said it out loud. Ann tilted her head. “He proposed and I said  _ no _ .” 

“ _ What? _ Why?” She exclaimed. Leslie sat down, Ann right by her side, her hand on her best friends back. Leslie sighed before explaining.

“Because I’m considering taking a job. All the way in California. I’d have to move there for three years.” She began. Ann’s face fell. “I didn’t take it yet, but I didn’t get the chance to tell him. I was going to tell him today. But he proposed and I panicked, I didn’t even explain, he just left.”

Ann nodded. “So you wanted to say yes.”

“God, of course I wanted to say yes! But I’ve asked him to uproot his life so many times. Like moving to  _ California _ ? That would mean him losing his City Manager job, they can’t just go three years without one. He loves being City Manager. I couldn’t take that from him.”

“You guys have done long distance though.” Ann mentioned softly.

“Yeah, for six months. We were able to handle six months. Three years, I just don’t know.”

Ann nodded. She understood, of course she did. She just didn’t know how to help. She was right, it would be unfair of her to make Ben put his whole life on hold, to pack everything and move all the way across the country. 

“I’m saying no to the job.”

“What?”

“I’m saying no to the job and I’m going to marry Ben. My whole life I’ve put work first but god, Ann, I can’t lose him.”

So she called the office in California. She apologized for keeping them waiting but she had to say no. Ann took her into the bathroom to help her fix her makeup, red face, and tear stained cheeks. Ann encouraged her as she left the house. She drove to Andy and April’s shaking. 

She got out of the car, and knocked on the door of the house. April opened it, the color draining from her face once she saw Leslie on the other side. Leslie didn’t catch on to April’s anxious mannerisms. 

“Leslie.”

“April. Is Ben here?”

“He left Pawnee Leslie.” She sighed, handing her the note that Ben left for her. “You’re too late.”


End file.
